Randomized, prospective comparison of cefoxitin and gentamicin-clindamycin in the treatment of acute colonic diverticulitis

Abstract

In a randomized, prospective study, single-drug antibiotic therapy with cefoxitin (CFX) was compared to combination therapy with gentamicin and clindamycin (G/C) as definitive treatment for acute colonic diverticulitis. Excluding individuals requiring immediate operation, 51 patients with a clinical diagnosis of diverticulitis, who were hospitalized at five different medical centers, were randomized to receive CFX (30 patients) or G/C (21 patients). Age, sex, and the severity of diverticulitis were similar in the two groups. The cure rates of 90% and 85.7% observed for CFX and G/C, respectively, did not differ significantly. Leukocytosis resolved in a shorter time period in patients treated with CFX than in those treated with G/C (2.5 +/- 0.4 vs 4.1 +/- 0.6 days, respectively) (P = 0.03, Student's t test, unpaired data). Two cases of possibly antibiotic-related toxicity occurred in the CFX group versus three cases in the G/C group. The average cost of a course of CFX therapy was $417 compared with $488 for G/C. In this study, cefoxitin demonstrated efficacy and tolerability similar to that of gentamicin-clindamycin in the treatment of acute colonic diverticulitis and may be preferred in view of its narrower antimicrobial spectrum and lower cost.